GARY McAllister is predicting a bright future for midfielder Fabian Delph whose season has been cursed by injury.

The caretaker manager has backed the 21-year-old to put his troubles behind him and insists he will be raring to go at the start of the 2011-12 campaign

Delph’s struggles started in April last year when he ruptured knee ligaments in training, a knock that cost him eight months.

Then just two games into his comeback – at Manchestser City – he broke down once again and missed the next nine weeks.

When he did return to first-team action he was often played out of position at left-back until the towards the end of the season when he put in an outstanding display in the middle of the park at Arsenal.

All too predictably though he broke down against Liverpool last Sunday and the campaign that never started came to a heart-wrenching end.

However, McAllister tipped him to shine next term – once he has got a whole summer’s training under his belt.

“Fabian took a bang and he was frustrated in the dressing room,” the caretaker manager said.

“He got back in the team and then he took a nasty one down the back of the ankle.

“You have to realise the lad has been out a long time but the last month has been the first time I have seen him free in his mind because he’s over the problem with his knee.